Romance: Enemies to Lovers

prettymuchdean asked:

1) Commonalities The first thing you have to do is figure out what things they have in common. It could be only a few important things, lots of minor things, or any combination there of. They just need to have things in common in order to build a bond. Possibilities: a soft spot for the same person/thing/cause, family history, personal goals, likes/dislikes, friends/enemies, hopes/dreams, fears, possible fates, etc. Once you know what the commonalities are, you’ll have to establish them in the story and show them noticing those commonalities. 2) Attraction Whether their attraction is emotional, physical, or purely interest based, there should be some sort of attraction to keep them noticing one another and caring about the things they share in common. 3) Tension It doesn’t have to be sexual or romantic tension (though it certainly can be), but there should be some sort of attraction-based tension between them, where they are having brief moments of letting their guard down in front of one another long enough to notice any commonalities and attraction. This is where the “subtle signs of love” come into play, but these can be signs of interest/attraction as well as “love.” 4) Bonding At some point, something happens that allows a little bit of bonding to take place. This can be any sort of “moment” shared between them that lasts more than a couple of minutes. It doesn’t have to involve conversation, but that’s a good route to take since it allows one or both characters to share things that will allow a bond to take route. After that, little moments can continue to happen here and there, allowing the characters to bond further. 5) Breakthrough Finally, there should be some sort of breakthrough point where they both see each other at a true moment of vulnerability and begin to genuinely see the good in one another despite being enemies. This empathy allows the “flood gates” to open, so-to-speak, allowing them to embrace the feelings they have for one another. From there they only have to address what this new relationship means for their personal causes.

———————————————————————————————— Have a writing question? I’d love to hear from you, but please be sure to read my ask rules and master list first or your question may go unanswered. :)

We found this while cruising though Bloglines last night. If you are writing anything at all, odds are you’ll improve your skills by spending some time at the Poynter Institute. So without delay, here is a list of a whopping 50 articles that we should all read (yes, I said we because my writing tends to lack in a few dozen areas!)

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9 Step Plotting Outline

NY Book Editors have created a handy flow chart to help combat the dreaded Writer’s Block.

Steven James, Story Trumps Structure (via write-like-a-freak)

You must learn to be three people at once: writer, character, and reader. Nancy Kress

Synonyms for the Word Said

Said Synonyms- Reporting

Said Synonyms- Explaining

Said Synonyms- Arguing

Said Synonyms- Suggesting

Said Synonyms- Questioning

Said Synonyms- Acknowledging

Said Synonyms- Sounds & Misc

Credit to http://www.synonyms-antonyms.com/synonyms-for-said.html

Guide: Describing Clothing and Appearance

When Describing a Character DO:

DON’T:

Choose a Focal Point When describing a character’s appearance, choose a focal point and work up or down from there. For example, you may describe them from head to toe, or from toe to head. Try not to skip around. If you’re describing their face, start with their hair and work your way down to their mouth, or start at the mouth and work your way up to their hair. Describing Race and Ethnicity There is a lot of debate about the right and wrong way to describe a person’s race. If you want, you can state that a person is Black, white, Hispanic, Native American, First Nations, Latino, Middle-Eastern, Asian, Pacific Islander, etc. Just remember that races are made up of different ethnic groups. Someone of Asian descent could be Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. If you’re describing a character whose ethnicity is unknown or not important to the plot, you could just say that they were Asian or Black, for example. But, the rest of the time you need to be clear about whether they are Chinese, Chinese American, Korean, etc. Also, remember that not all Black people are African-American, such as someone born in England or Haiti, for example. You may instead choose to describe a character’s race through the color of their hair, eyes, and skin. It’s up to you which you feel most comfortable with and is most appropriate for your story. Just remember, if you describe one character’s skin color or otherwise make an issue of their race, you should describe every character’s skin color or race. Describing Clothing Just like with physical appearance, when describing clothing you want to choose a focal point and work up or down. Think about things like the garments they’re wearing (pants, shirt, coat) and accessories (hat, jewelry, shoes). Be sure to choose clothing which are both relevant to your character and to the time and place where your story is set. You can find out about appropriate clothing by Googling the time and place your story is set plus the word clothing: “Clothing in Victorian England” “Clothing in 1960s New York” “9th century Viking clothing” Be sure to look for web sites that aren’t providing cheap Halloween costumes. Shops providing clothes for historical reenactors are often very accurate. Looking for Inspiration There are many resources online for both historical and modern clothing. For historical clothing, you can look for web sites about the period, web sites for or about historical reenactors, or web pages for historical enthusiasts or museums. For modern clothing, you can simply pull up the web site of your favorite department store or clothing designer. Choose an outfit that works for your character, then learn how to describe the relevant parts. Resources for Describing Clothing:

Describing Clothing Describing Clothes Writing Tips on Describing Clothes Describing Clothes and Appearance (If You Should at All) Resources for Garments and Accessories: Shirts Trousers  Dress Types of Dress Shorts Briefs Panties Lingerie Bra Swimsuit Pajamas Shoes Coats and Jackets Sweaters Hats Jewelry Sunglasses Sleeves, Necklines, Collars, and Dress Types Scarves for Men Scarf Buying Guide The Ultimate Scarf Tying Guide

Historical Clothing Resources: OMG That Dress! Period Fabric Amazon Dry Goods Reconstructing History Historic Threads Historical Costume Inspiration History of Costume: European Fashion Through the Ages Women’s Fashion Through the Years Clothing in the Ancient World Clothing in Ancient Rome Clothing in Biblical Times Vintage Fashion Guild

Modern Clothing Resources: Clothes on Pinterest Polyvore Fashion Dictionary This is a Fashion Blog What I Wore Fashion is Endless Physical Details Resources: Women’s Body Shapes Men’s Body Shapes Face Shapes Realistic Eye Shape Chart Facial Hair Types How to Describe Women’s Hair Lengths The Ultimate Haircut Guide for Women Men’s Haircuts (Barber Shop Style) A Primer on Men’s Hairstyles Hair Color Obsidian Bookshelf Hair Color Obsidian Bookshelf Eye Color Skin Color Chart Curl and Texture Chart

11 Plot Pitfalls – And How to Rescue Your Story From Them

Source: [X] By: Laura Whitcomb

We’ve all been there: basking in the glow of a finished manuscript, only to read it over and realize something is wrong with the plot. Finding ourselves unable to identify the problem only makes matters worse. But take heart! Here are some common plot gaffes and sensible ways to revise without starting over.

1. THE PLOT ISN’T ORIGINAL ENOUGH. Go through your pages and highlight anything that you’ve read in another book or seen in a movie. In the margin, write where you’ve seen it. Then list these sections and make a note for each one about how it could differ from its lookalike. A mental patient escapes by throwing something heavy through a window. Too much like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest? Instead, the patient walks out with a visiting grandma after convincing her he’s an old friend. Quick notes like these can help you detach from unintentional imitation.

2. READERS ALWAYS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. This may be because you’ve chosen a plot point that’s overused, or because you keep giving away the answer in advance. Readers know the villain is going to whip out a picture of the hero’s son and blackmail her by pretending to have kidnapped the little boy because you showed the villain taking pictures of the child and driving away from the schoolyard. You could be less obvious by only showing the antagonist sitting in the car watching the boy on the playground, and no more. 3. THE PLOT IS BORING. Take each page and imagine what different writers might do with the same plot. Choose extreme examples. Would a comedy writer have the cab driver and the villain coincidentally be childhood friends with unfinished business? Would the mystery writer have the taxi pass a clue on a street corner that makes a new connection for the hero? Would the horror writer have the cab driver channel a ghost? Or, imagine the most surprising thing that could happen in a given scene. It doesn’t matter if these ideas don’t fit your story. You’re not going to use them. But often, after thinking of wild ideas to make the story more interesting, you begin to come up with workable ones that are just as stimulating, but better suited to your book. 4. THE PLOT IS ALL ACTION AND THE FRENZIED PACE NUMBS READERS. Let them breathe. Give the readers a little downtime now and then in your action story. Look back at your favorite action novels. Notice the conversations, summarized passages, meals, introspection and releases of emotions that are set in between the car chases, shootouts and confrontations. List them. Then give the readers a chance to breathe in your own manuscript. Find the dramatic respites that come from your characters’ needs, flaws and strengths.

5. THE PLOT IS TOO COMPLEX. Often, a complex plot can be trimmed into a sleek one by cutting out some steps. Does your protagonist have to visit her father in the hospital twice—once to bring him flowers and talk about Mom, and then again to find he has taken a turn for the worse? Couldn’t he take a turn for the worse while she’s still there the first time? Does your villain need to have three motives for revenge? Would one or two be interesting enough? To find the messiness in your overly complex story, summarize it out loud to yourself. When a section takes too long to explain, make a note. When you find yourself saying, “Oh, wait, I forgot to mention that …” you’re probably in need of a plot trim. When deciding whether or not to simplify the plot, ask yourself over and over again,

“Why does she do that? Why didn’t she just do this?” Making a plot less complicated doesn’t have to make it less clever. 6. THE PLOT IS TOO SHALLOW. Sometimes as writers we get caught up in the action. The symbolism. The metaphors. The witty dialogue. The great character names. The slick descriptions. Sometimes we ride these skills over the surface of the story and forget what’s really important. If you or your first readers (friends, family, agent) complain that the novel feels insubstantial, step back and ask yourself these questions: Why am I bothering to write this story? Why does the outcome matter to the characters? How do the characters change? How did my favorite book affect me the first time I read it?

7. SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF IS DESTROYED. Readers need to buy into the reality put forward by what they’re reading. You may go too far with a plot point or not far enough with preparing your audience for that plot point. If something that sounded right when you outlined it is coming off as farfetched even to you, look back at the stepping-stones that led to the event. If your murderer turns over a new leaf at the end of act two, make sure you’ve given her reason to.

8. TOO MANY SUBPLOTS MAKE THE PLOT OVERLY COMPLEX. If you start to feel weighed down by your numerous storylines, start cutting them. List the subplots (shopkeeper with a crush, neighbor’s dog that tears up the garden, accountant who threatens to quit every day), and then list under each title all the ways it’s necessary.

Only subplots that are so vital that you could not remove them without destroying your novel get to stick around. Be bold. 9. THE SEQUENCE IS ILLOGICAL. Sometimes the sequence set down in an outline starts to show its true colors when you’re writing the chapters. If you feel the order of scenes or events in your story is off, list each scene on a separate index card and, in red ink, write a question mark on every card that doesn’t feel right where it is in the story. Shuffle the cards. I’m not kidding. Mix them up completely. Lay them out again in the order you think they might work best, giving special attention to those with red question marks.

Something about these scenes tricked you the first time. This time, really look closely at the proper place for those tricky bits.

10. THE PREMISE ISN’T COMPELLING. If you fear that a mediocre premise is your holdup, take out a sheet of paper. Make a list on the left-hand side of everything that’s dodgy in your present premise. Then write a list down the right-hand side about all the things that work great in the premise of a similar favorite book, play or movie.

See where you might make the stakes higher, the characters more emotional, the setting more a part of the overall plot. Remember: The premise should make your readers curious.

11. THE CONCLUSION IS UNSATISFYING. Once again, write a list of what bothers you about your conclusion, and next to it, a list of what worked great about the end of your favorite novel. Do you have to create more suspense before you give the readers what they’ve been craving? Do you need to make the answer to the mystery clearer? Does the villain need to be angrier, or perhaps show remorse? Unsatisfying conclusions are usually lacking something. Whatever that is, make your story’s ending have more of it.

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S.Z. // Excerpt from a book I’ll never write #194 (via blossomfully)

things cuter than tickling (a writer's guide)

- nose kissing - ghostly touches that make you shiver - sweet whispers - playing with each others hair - funny faces to make each other giggle - just a hug is nice - forehead kisses - lazily interlocked fingers - booping their nose to make them smile - butterfly kisses - a finger tracing their/your features - face nuzzling of any kind - drawing patterns on their naked skin - kisses anywhere but the lips - pressing against them to feel their heat - eskimo kisses - any type of smiles and giggles tbh - silent fonding - basically anything is cuter than being tickled okay please just be creative

Unless you’re the type of writer who always chooses your own subject matter, there may come a time when you are tasked with writing about a sensitive topic. Particularly in the journalism field, topics such as politics and family tragedies must be covered. Writers must take caution when writing about sensitive topics and follow a few important guidelines:

1. Get permission Depending on the subject matter, it might make sense to ask the people/organizations involved whether you can publish a piece about it. Some information that you have may be confidential and you don’t want to land in hot water or end up having to deal with the legal ramifications of publishing something that you shouldn’t have. It’s always better to err on the side of caution.

2. Get the facts Whether the situation is something that you have experienced personally or not, it’s crucial to make sure you have all of the facts straight. Remember, sensitive subjects bring up strong emotions and reactions and you don’t want to misinform your readers or anger or upset the people who are involved. Always spend time seeking out reliable sources and include the names of any people, organizations, etc. that you are quoting. Include direct quotes whenever possible and if your writing is published online, always link to the source.

3. Showcase all angles As they say, there are two sides to every story. And in many cases, there may be even more than that. As a journalist, it isn’t your job to determine who is “right” and who is “wrong.” Instead, remain unbiased and stick to the facts, get quotes and information from all parties involved, and allow your readers to develop their own conclusions about the event, idea, or other subject matter.

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A plot is not a story, nor does every story have a strong plot. Good writers know the importance of both plotand story, especially before they dare to write a story with a “weak” or “thin” plot. Any plot can feature a love story; that illustrates the difference. Plots are events, stories reveal how characters react to those events.

Because the writers, editors, publishers, and producers with whom we work target mass market audiences, we make no apologies for what might seem a formulaic approach to story structure. Producers and publishers know that audiences have expectations writers need to meet. If you want to write literary fiction or experimental cinema, this guide is not for you. Also, aftere you have sold a work that follows the rules, it is slightly more likely that you can bend or break the rules.

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